Taffy Altercations and Spiked Nog
by Morelenmir
Summary: Benny squares off against Cas for a morsel of taffy while Sam sighs and spikes the nog and Dean kicks back on the couch with his boots up on the table. A perfectly normal Christmas, if you disregard that half the cabin's occupants aren't human. Direct sequel to Southern Vampires and Snow Don't Mix.


Why no, I don't know what I'm doing anymore. Have another fic in the unexpected Christmas trilogy of Benny, the Winchesters, and Castiel adorableness. Written for begging readers on dA.

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"Those're mine, angel."

"Sam offered them freely."

Sam's regard shifted from the angel-vampire standoff in the cabin's cramped living room to his brother when Dean chuckled from the couch. Dean settled comfortably into the corner of the couch and swung his snowy boots onto the squat coffee table, obvious amusement on his face. Sam contemplated whacking him in the back of the head, but decided against it. Dean would probably be the one to break up the squabbling supernatural creatures, anyway.

In the meantime, he had important things to do. In the kitchen. Far away in the kitchen. With rum. Sam wouldn't say he retreated from the living room just as Benny made an overture, stepping forward in an attempt to remove the dish of fresh taffy from the protective crook of Castiel's arm, but he did leave quickly.

From the cabin's economical kitchen he could hear the lazy rumble of Benny's drawl countermanded by Castiel's gravel-rough voice. The verbal seesaw over the taffy continued and Sam rolled his eyes, pouring what might be considered to be too much rum into the collection of mugs rustled up from the depths of the cabinets. Taking a perfectly healthy shot from his chosen mug, white snowmen ringing the royal blue ceramic, he wheezed for a moment then set it back on the counter. The fridge worked fine, if you wanted everything frozen, so the quart of eggnog was in a cooler he'd hidden under the sink. Dean's appreciation for the sweet drink was almost legendary and, Sam discovered with a resounding lack of surprise, he'd relieved the carton of nearly a pint of eggnog.

Swishing the half-empty carton, a rueful smile curved his lips as he added the eggnog to the mugs of rums. He grabbed a pre-cleaned spoon to quickly stir the contents and grabbed Castiel and Benny's mugs. Sam turned a little too quickly toward the door—he could no longer hear the intense noise of Benny and Cas quietly going at it—and some of Castiel's splashed over the rim, wetting his hand. Screwing his face up, he sighed and walked out of the kitchen anyway.

He only just made it through the doorway before stopping dead.

Dean had a fist stuffed in his mouth, barely containing the mirth twinkling in his eyes. The snow had melted into small pools ringing his boots, still plopped on the low table. Benny was in the angel's personal space, which was a joke in itself, and the vampire wore a determined glare that bored into Castiel's narrowed blue eyes. One of Castiel's hands was covering the taffy and the other curled possessively around the bowl. Benny's fingers moved in a flowing pattern at his side, readying to dart forward yet again, and Sam moved forward hastily.

Loudly tromping across the room, he shouldered into the taut space between Cas and Benny with the eggnog raised as a peace offering. "Benny." He offered the sturdy black mug with red snowflakes dancing haphazardly over its surface. The vampire eyed the mug and then regarded Sam coolly.

"If you insist," he said laconically, taking the eggnog. He didn't so much as step away as he was just abruptly farther from Sam and Cas, gliding on those freakishly quiet feet. Sam stomped down the urge to huff in exasperation and turned to Castiel. The angel silently took the mug in his free hand and then studied the candy canes scattered merrily across it.

"It's good," Sam grinned encouragingly. "Has a bit of a kick, but that shouldn't bother you." He left Cas to his eggnog and jealously guarded taffy and kicked Dean's booted feet off the coffee table as he walked past. "You're making a mess, jerkface."

Dean called lazily after him, "Bitch, where's my eggnog?"

Hollering out of the kitchen, Sam retorted, "You already had it, dumbass!" Dean's chortle drifted in to him and Sam snickered while he added another dollop of rum to Dean's already brimming mug.

"Had to make sure it was still good." Dean grinned to himself when he heard Sam's removed snort, pushing up from the couch and walking over to the small tree propped precariously in the corner where the television had been. Sliding past Cas, the ever present trench coat rustled when his leg brushed the cloth. Castiel made an abortive move out of his way but Dean dropped a hand on his shoulder and kept him still. "S'fine, Cas," he murmured and then promptly stole a piece of the taffy. Cas and Benny's glares landed squarely between his shoulder blades while he knelt beside the lopsided tree and plugged in the Christmas lights Sam had rustled up. The glass balls reflecting kernels of multicolored light over the car fresheners and handfuls of silver tinsel painted brilliant dots of red and blue on Dean's freckles as he rose to his feet.

He rested his hands on his hips with a pleased crinkle around his eyes and tilted his head up when Sam appeared beside him. "'Nog?" He grunted appreciatively and carefully took the drink from his brother's oversized hand, sipping hastily to avoid spilling.

Dean was onto his third sip when the burn kicked in and a cough escaped him. Sasquatch chuckled and settled on the couch, the opposite end of where Dean had been situated. The almost empty bottle of rum was conspicuously tucked by his side of the couch and Dean shot him a raised eyebrow.

"Hey, with the shenanigans you seem intent on spawning, this is just backup." Sam's chin jutted defensively and a leg bounced to one side, concealing the tall bottle. Dean dropped onto the couch heavily just to watch Sam jerk and balance his mug with a muttered curse.

"Shenanigans, really?" He widened his eyes with the practiced expression of innocence. The flat stare Sam gave him brought a smirk to his face. "No sense of humor, Gigantor, I swear."

"You told me I should give Cas the taffy."

Two heads swiveled.

Dean's smirk froze.

"Uh, no. No I didn't. That's ridiculous." Twin glares sent from ice blue eyes drilled into him and Dean half hid behind the green mug decorated with red trees. He huffed out a soft laugh, waving a semi-apologetic hand. "Maybe?"

Cas opened his mouth and was cut off by the vampire. Yeah, Dean hadn't seen that coming either.

"That's all right, brother. I can just give your gift over to Cas here and let him decide what to do with it." A tiny smile was concealed by Benny's beard but his eyes glinted mischief-bright. He wore the slyest look Dean had ever seen not on Sam's face as he sidestepped toward the front door, digging through a pocket of the heavy black coat hanging from a hook on the wooden door. Withdrawing his hand, he tossed something small and wrapped in faded newspaper print in his palm before slipping it into two fingers not occupied with holding the container of spiked 'nog.

"Angel?" He walked directly to Cas and held out his empty hand. Castiel considered him for a long moment and then passed the bowl of soft taffy over. Dimples carved pleased lines in Benny's face. "Enjoy." He flicked the object toward Cas, who caught it easily. Neither of them broke eye contact until Dean barked a laugh.

"You two are ridiculous, by the way." He could hardly contain the good natured mirth teasing at the corners of his mouth and pushed himself deeper into the cushions, staving off outright laughter with a hearty hit of rum with a side of eggnog. "Now play nice and siddown, we have gifts to open."

Cas claimed the armchair next to Dean and Benny sauntered around the coffee table to the highbacked chair shoved in front of the abandoned television. He set the taffy on the table as he passed and Castiel immediately leaned forward to snag a piece. A chuckle rumbled deep in the vampire's throat for the breadth of a moment while he slumped into the wooden chair with the careless grace Dean had become familiar with. "So. Who goes first, _amigos_?"

Sam and Dean pointed at each other with glancing, then snorted at the other's sheer ridiculousness.

"Sammy'll go first." He grinned broadly at his brother.

"Dean should go first," Sam insisted, dropping a long arm around the couch to snag the rum.

"Nuh-uh, older brother dictates. You." Sam rolled his eyes, making Dean's grin stretch into a smile, and reluctantly released the bottle. He leaned forward and dug beneath the couch to produce thin, properly wrapped boxes, tossing one each to the other three.

"One moment." Castiel's low voice broke through the crinkle of Dean's excited fingers already working on the wrapping paper, and he glanced over at the nearby angel. He grinned expectantly.

"Yeah, Cas?"

"I wish to propose a toast." Dean didn't miss the smirk that appeared behind Benny's beard nor the bemused sound from the other end of the couch.

"To brothers." Benny lifted his drink in a quiet salute.

"To friendship." A distant smile spread over Sam's face and he nodded at Cas.

"May we have each other, no matter what the next day brings." Dean touched his mug silently to Castiel's, holding his gaze until the skin around the blue eyes crinkled in peaceful laugh lines. He then leaned back into the couch, holding the spiked eggnog aloft.

"To Team Free Will," he added softly.

Benny, Cas, and Sam threw back a hefty draught of Sam's concoction and Dean…watched them. The angel, the vampire, and his brother, all in one place and not actively at each other's throats. He shook his head and buried his snort in the mug of eggnog.

Must be Christmas magic.


End file.
